DriveTest centres are reopening in Ontario and here's what you need to know

DriveTest centres are reopening in Ontario meaning the wait is now over for new drivers looking to book their driving tests. 

Ontario will be starting in-vehicle passenger road tests again on Monday at DriveTest centres, which is three days after Step 1 of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen plan begins. 

According to the DriveTest website, this means that in-vehicle passenger road tests like the G2, G as well as the M2, M, motorcycle tests will be resuming. 

Services offered inside DriveTest centres, such as knowledge tests, have remained open to the public during the pandemic on the basis of capacity restrictions and COVID-19 measures. 

Due to a backlog of road tests that were postponed as a result of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, Ontario is currently planning on investing $16 million to increase road-testing capacity. 

"Earlier this year, our government started the process of adding new driver examiners at DriveTest locations in every part of the province," said Caroline Mulroney, the minister of transportation.

"We will continue to hire more driver examiners while also extending road testing hours and introducing weekend road testing in areas where the backlog is greatest, so that people who need a road test can book one as soon as possible."

Starting in September 2021 in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the province plans to open six temporary locations to conduct passenger road tests, operating seven days a week in areas where the backlog is greatest. 

These locations will be in addition to the 84 new temporary driver examiners they announced they would be hiring back in September 2020.

In-vehicle passenger road tests will resume in Ontario next Monday, June 14.

Due to high-demand, road tests will be available on a first come, first served basis.

More details to follow soon.

— Caroline Mulroney (@C_Mulroney) June 7, 2021

Road tests are available by appointment only, and the province says they will not be prioritizing customers with cancelled appointments. Applicants may be required to provide a contact phone number should contact tracing be required.

In addition, passing the province's COVID-19 screening questionnaire will also be required before you will be allowed to take a road test or enter test centres.

For those worried about their expired driver's licenses, the DriveTest website says that there are temporary regulations in place extending the expiry date of licenses that expired on or after March 1, 2020 for as long as those regulations remain in place. 

"Throughout the pandemic, our government's top priority has been the health and safety of Ontarians," said Mulroney. "As more people get vaccinated and COVID-19 case numbers decline, we are able to safely restart passenger road testing at DriveTest centres."